Systems and methods for customized fermented beverages

ABSTRACT

A system for making a personalized malt-based beverage may comprise at least one packaged base liquid and at least one separately packaged flavor ingredient. The at least one packaged base liquid may comprise at least about 0.1% wt ethyl alcohol, at least about 3% wt malt extract solids, and a carbon dioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 1.5 grams per liter. The separately packaged flavor ingredient may comprise a dry ingredient.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/620,859 to O'Riordan et al., filed on 5 Apr. 2012; and U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/753,891 to O'Riordan et al., filedon 17 Jan. 2013, and the disclosure of each is incorporated fully hereinby this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

In general, the present disclosure relates to personalized beverages.More specifically, the present disclosure relates to fermentedbeverages, such as malt-based beverages, that may be personalized to aconsumer's preference, such as by combining ingredients together.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, malt-based beverages, and especially beers, are a fastgrowing market in many countries such as China and India. In many ofthese countries, the taste and beer-type preferences are culturallydifferent from markets such as North and South America and Europe. Mostbreweries operating world-wide, however, provide a limited number ofbeer types, and hence, beer tastes. Due to globalization, theavailability of specialized beer types that meet specific consumerdemands becomes a challenge, both in terms of logistics and in terms ofthe amount of different beer types and tastes to be developed andproduced.

Beer taste is dependent on the ingredients used (e.g., malt-type,adjunct levels, hops type and levels, other ingredients such as fruitflavors, water composition, etc.) and operational settings (e.g.,boiling time, yeast type used for fermentation, fermentation temperatureprofile, filtration, etc.).

Brewing finished beer, wherein all the ingredients are introduced intothe beer prior to bottling, has a major drawback in that the formulationand thus the taste, smell, color and other organoleptic properties ofthe beer are fixed.

A partial solution to this drawback has been provided with for examplein U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,652, which discloses a method of manufacturing acolorless, flavorless and odorless fermented malt-based stock forsubsequent flavoring having a total solids content of less than 1%.

The method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,652, however, provides afermented malt-based stock composition that is substantially free ofbeer-characteristic. Accordingly, flavoring of such malt-based stock isperceived to be limited due to the large amount of flavors to be added.Additionally, it appears that a natural tasting beer would be difficultto achieve utilizing such malt-based stock.

Another drawback of the method according to U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,652 isthat the addition of flavors, especially due to the large amount,remains difficult and specialists work, making it difficult forend-consumers to personalize the malt-base according to their owndesire.

In view of the foregoing, there remains a need for individualizedmalt-based beverages meeting a personal organoleptic profile.Additionally, there is a need for systems, methods, and devices thatfacilitate a relatively easy preparation of such malt-based beverages byconsumers. Furthermore, there is a need for systems, methods, anddevices that provide consumers with the experience of preparing a trulynatural malt-based beverage.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a system for making apersonalized malt-based beverage may comprise an individually packagedbase liquid for making personalized malt-based beverages may comprise atleast about 0.1% wt ethyl alcohol, at least about 3% wt malt extractsolids, and a carbon dioxide level between about 0 grams per liter andabout 1.5 grams per liter.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, theat least one separately packaged flavor ingredient may comprise abittering ingredient.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thebittering ingredient may comprise hops.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise between about 3% wt maltextract solids and about 5.5% wt malt extract solids.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise less than about 6International Bitterness Units.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise less than about 3International Bitterness Units.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise about zero InternationalBitterness Units.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise an ethyl alcohol level of atleast 0.5% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise an ethyl alcohol level of atleast 1% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may further comprise an ethyl alcohol level betweenabout 3% wt and about 12% wt.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thesystem may further comprise a carbonating vessel.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, theat least one flavor ingredient may be a dry ingredient.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, theat least one flavor ingredient may be packaged within a water permeablecontainer.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, thepackaged base liquid may be contained with packages having a volumebetween about 0.5 liter and about 10 liters.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing apersonalized malt-based beverage may comprise providing a distributablepackage containing a malt-based beverage base composition, the basecomposition having a CO2 level ranging between 0 and 1.5 g/l, providinga flavored liquid composition comprising at least one flavorant, andadding at least one flavored liquid composition to said basecomposition.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, themethod may further comprise providing at least one ingredient comprisingat least one extractable flavorant, and extracting said at least oneflavorant from said at least one ingredient to obtain said flavoredliquid composition.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, saidbase composition may be a fermented composition.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, saidbase composition may have an alcohol content of at least 0.1 w %.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, saidbase composition may lack at least one beer characteristic flavorcomponent desired in the malt-based beverage to manufacture and has atotal solids content of at least more than 1%.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,extracting said flavorant from said at least one ingredient may compriseboiling said ingredient in water or extracting said flavorant inalcohol.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,adding the flavored liquid composition to said base composition maycomprise diluting said base composition with respect to at least onecomponent.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, themethod may further comprise carbonating said base composition.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,carbonation of the base composition may be performed after addition ofthe flavored liquid composition thereto.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, themethod may further comprise providing two or more different malt-basedbeverage base master compositions, mixing said base master compositionsto obtain the base composition.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, theingredient comprising at least one flavorant may be chosen from thegroup comprising a bittering ingredient, an aromatic ingredient, andmixtures thereof.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, themethod may further comprise adding at least one of hops and hopsderivatives to the base composition.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects,adding at least one of hops and hops derivatives to the base compositionmay be performed during carbonation.

In a further aspect, which may be combined with any other aspects, themalt-based beverage obtained may be a beer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the presentmethod and system and are a part of the specification. The illustratedembodiments are merely examples of the present system and method and donot limit the scope thereof.

FIG. 1 is a schematic process diagram depicting stages of themanufacture process for a base liquid for making a personalizedmalt-based beverage, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2C are isometric views of various non-rigid packages containinga base liquid, such as may be made by the process of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a package containing a flavor ingredient formaking a personalized malt-based beverage, according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a processing line for manufacturingnon-rigid packages containing a base liquid, such as may be made by theprocess of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a non-rigid package manufactured, such asmade on the processing line of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional detail view of a sealing strip for use innon-rigid packages, such as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows various components of a system for making a personalizedmalt-based beverage, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of a carbonating vessel formaking a personalized malt-based beverage, according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a front cross-sectional view of a carbonating vessel formaking a personalized malt-based beverage wherein a carbon dioxidecartridge is oriented horizontally, according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are isometric views of flavor columns for use in acarbonating vessel, such as shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view of a carbonating vessel formaking a personalized malt-based beverage configured to be storedhorizontally, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of a carbonating vessel formaking a personalized malt-based beverage that includes a dip tube,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of a shipping vehicle containinga number of non-rigid packages of decarbonated beer base efficientlystacked, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar,but not necessarily identical, elements.

BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments described herein provide devices, systems and methods forthe customization and personalization of fermented beverages, such asfermented malt-based beverages, by consumers. In the present disclosure,it should be understood that the present system will be described withreference to malt-based beverages. However, the present systems andmethods equally apply to all cereal and pseudo-cereal based beverages,including, but in no way limited to beverages based on maize, rice,wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, triticale, rye, buckwheat, fonio,and quinoa. In some embodiments, at least one base liquid may bemanufactured that includes water and ethyl alcohol, and otheringredients derived from the brewing and fermentation of sugars, such assugars extracted from malted grain. The base liquid may be decarbonatedafter fermentation, to provide a still base liquid. The still baseliquid, which may be substantially free of carbon dioxide or otherdissolved gasses, may then be packaged, such as in a carton. The baseliquid may then be shipped and sold to consumers, where it may becombined with at least one flavor, inserted into a durable container,and carbonated to provide a personalized beverage.

In some embodiments, a base liquid 10 for making a personalizedfermented beverage may be manufactured by fermenting a wort 12comprising fermentable sugars and water, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Thefermentable sugars may be obtained by mashing a carbohydrate source 14(i.e., utilizing enzymes to convert complex sugars to simple,fermentable sugars), such as malted barley and/or adjuncts such as oneor more of maize, corn, rye, wheat, oat, rice, millet, sorghum, cassavaroot, potato, yam, agave, and persimmon. After mashing, liquid wort 12may be separated from solids (e.g., grain husks) from the carbohydratesource by lautering. Optionally, fermentable sugars may be added to thewort 12 that do not require mashing, such as one or more of honey, canesugar, beet sugar, molasses, fruit sugar (fructose), agave syrup, maplesyrup, and corn sugar.

Various base liquids 10 may be prepared by utilizing differentingredients for preparing the wort 12. Ingredients may be selected toprovide a desired color, a desired ethyl alcohol content, and desiredflavor profiles. For example, a roasted barley malt (e.g., black patentmalt and/or chocolate malt) may be added to provide a dark base liquid10. For another example, adjuncts such as rice sugar, corn sugar, and/orcane sugar may be added to provide additional ethyl alcohol in a baseliquid without adding significant flavor or color, such as for a lightcolored base liquid 10. In yet another example, wheat may be added toprovide a wheat base liquid 10.

The wort 12 may then be boiled, and optionally, a small amount ofbittering agents, such as hops or hops derivatives, may be added priorto or during the boiling process. In some embodiments, no bitteringagents may be added. For example, the wort 12, and the resulting baseliquid 10, may include less than about 6 International Bitterness Units(IBUs) (i.e., having less than about 6 milligrams of isomerized alphaacid per one liter of liquid). In another example, the wort 12, and theresulting base liquid 10, may include less than about 3 IBUs. In yetanother example, the wort 12, and the resulting base liquid 10, mayinclude about zero IBUs.

After boiling, the wort 12 may be cooled and yeast may be added toferment the wort 12 (e.g., to convert the fermentable sugars in the wort12 to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide). The yeast and fermentationprocess may be selected to affect the flavor of the resulting baseliquid 10. For example, a top fermenting yeast (i.e., an ale yeast) maybe selected and fermenting temperatures may be relatively warm (e.g.,between about 13° C. and about 24° C.) to provide a base liquid 10having flavors of an ale style beer. For another example, a bottomfermenting yeast (i.e., a lager yeast) may be selected and fermentingtemperatures may be relatively cool (e.g., between about 0° C. and about13° C.) to provide a base liquid 10 having flavors of a lager stylebeer. In yet another example, a bottom fermenting yeast (i.e., a lageryeast) may be selected and fermenting temperatures may be relativelywarm (e.g., between about 13° C. and about 24° C.) to provide a baseliquid 10 having flavors of a steam style beer.

When the fermentation process has completed, a carbonated base liquid 16may result that comprises an ethyl alcohol level of at least 0.1% wt anddissolved carbon dioxide produced by the yeast during fermentation. Insome embodiments the base liquid 10 may comprise an ethyl alcohol levelof at least 0.5% wt. In further embodiments, the base liquid 10 maycomprise an ethyl alcohol level of at least 1% wt. For example, the baseliquid 10 may comprise an ethyl alcohol level between about 3% wt andabout 12% wt.

Prior to packaging, the carbonated base liquid 16 may be decarbonated byknown methods, or new methods, to remove substantially all of thedissolved carbon dioxide gas, and any other gases, to provide the baseliquid 10. For example, after decarbonation the base liquid 10 may havea carbon dioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 1.5grams per liter. According to one embodiment, after decarbonation, thebase liquid 10 may have a carbon dioxide level between about zero gramsper liter and about 1.0 grams per liter. According to yet anotherembodiment, after decarbonation, the base liquid 10 may have a carbondioxide level between about zero grams per liter and about 0.6 grams perliter. Additionally, after fermentation, and prior to packaging, thebase liquid 10 may be filtered to remove a portion of the solids.

Optionally, a carbonated liquid base 16 may be transported in bulk, suchas by a tanker truck, from a brewery to a separate packaging plant. Thecarbonated base liquid 16 may then be decarbonated and packaged intoindividual containers, such as cartons, at the packaging plant toprovide an individually packaged base liquid 18. The generation ofmultiple decarbonated base liquids provides the system with maximumcustomization ability. According to one exemplary embodiment, multipledecarbonated base liquids may be used with varying characteristics,allowing the consumer to mix and match various combinations, therebyallowing the consumer to truly customize their beverage. According tothis exemplary embodiment, the individually packaged base liquid 18 maybe available in varying levels of alcohol content, flavor, andbitterness level, to allow for consumer customization.

In some embodiments, the carbonated base liquid 16 may be decarbonatedinline prior to packaging. The inline decarbonation may be conductedwithin a space, such as a cylindrical chamber, that may be subjected toa partial vacuum. Prior to being introduced into the space, thecarbonated base liquid 16 may be heated, such as to a temperaturebetween about 35° C. and about 38° C. The space may be maintained at apartial vacuum pressure, such as an absolute pressure of about 10 kPa.

The heated, carbonated base liquid 16 may be injected onto the space viaa nozzle, which may distribute the base liquid over a surface within thespace, such as a wall defining the space. Within the space, the heat andvacuum conditions may cause the carbon dioxide dissolved within thecarbonated base liquid 16 to separate from the liquid and be withdrawnfrom the space. After the carbon dioxide has been substantially removedfrom the carbonated base liquid 16 to form the base liquid 10, the baseliquid 10 may settle at the bottom of the space and be withdrawn fromthe space to a filler apparatus, such as those known in the art, forpackaging to provide the packaged base liquid 18.

As the base liquid 18 is substantially free of carbonation (i.e.,dissolved gases), the individual containers utilized for the packagedbase liquid 18 may be non-rigid (e.g., soft-sided or flexible)containers, and the base liquid 18 may be hermetically sealed within anorifice defined by a non-rigid wall of the container. In someembodiments, a non-rigid container may be formed from a flexible sheetmaterial, which may comprise one or more of paper pulp, a polymer,and/or a metal foil. For example, a non-rigid container may be comprisedof a flexible sheet material comprising a multi-layer laminate having afirst polyethylene layer, a paper layer, a second polyethylene layer, analuminum foil layer, a polyethylene adhesion layer, and a thirdpolyethylene layer. Accordingly, although a non-rigid container may besuitable for a liquid that is substantially free of any dissolved gases,non-rigid containers may not be suitable for carbonated liquids, as theflexible sides of a non-rigid container may not provide support for apressure difference between the content therein and the ambientenvironment. The non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may be configured tohold between about 0.5 liter and about 10 liters. For example, theindividual containers may be foil-on-foil, gusseted retort packages 19,as shown in FIG. 2A, having a gusseted base configured to facilitate avertical orientation of the gusseted retort packages 19. For anotherexample, the individual containers may be an aseptic composite materialcarton 20, such as the Tetra Gemina Aseptic® available from Tetra PakInc. of Vernon Hills, Ill., USA, as shown in FIG. 2B. For a furtherexample, the individual containers may be a carton 21 with a gussetedtop, such as the Tetra Rex® available from Tetra Pak Inc. of VernonHills, Ill., USA, as shown in FIG. 2C. Any number of flexible materialsconfigured to hermetically store a liquid, including polymers, may beused to form the individual containers of the present exemplary systemand method.

An example of a portion of a process for forming non-rigid containers19, 20, 21 from sheet material is illustrated in FIG. 4. A flexiblesheet material 23 may be provided, such as from a roll, the flexiblesheet material 23 having a first edge 25 and an opposing second edge 27.A sealing strip 29 may also be provided, such as from a roll. Thesealing strip 29 may then be adhered to the first edge 25 of theflexible sheet material 23, so that it extends over the first edge 25.The flexible sheet material 23 with the sealing strip 29 adhered theretomay be sanitized in a chemical bath, such as a hydrogen peroxide bath31.

The flexible sheet material 23 may then be creased and folded withprogressive roller units 33 to form a tube 35. According to oneexemplary embodiment, the tube 35 may have any number of cross-sectionalshapes including, but in no way limited to, circular, oval, square,rectangular, or triangular cross-section. To form the tube 35, the firstand second edges 25 and 27 of the sheet material 23 may be positioned tooverlap and be secured together with an adhesive. Additionally, theportion of the sealing strip 29 that overhangs the first edge 25 may beadhered to the sheet material 23 proximate to the second edge 27, toprovide a longitudinal or transverse seal along the seam within theinterior of the tube 35 (and thus within the interior of the resultingnon-rigid containers 19, 20, 21), as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the tube may then be filled with base liquid10 via a delivery tube 37 prior to segments of the tube 35 being sealedto form package precursors 39, which are then cut from the tube 35 toprovide discrete non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 of packaged base liquid18.

To maintain freshness of the packaged base liquid 18, the sealing strip29 that provides the longitudinal transverse seal of the non-rigidcontainer 19, 20, 21 may include a material layer that provides anoxygen barrier. In some embodiments, the sealing strip 29 may comprise alayer of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH). For example, as shown in FIG. 6,the sealing strip 29 may comprise a plurality of layers and may comprisea layer 41 of EVOH sandwiched between layers 43 of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). Alternatively, the sealing strip 29 may be formedof a laminate that includes any number of polymer layers, including, butin no way limited to nylon, to increase the hermetic seal of theresulting non-rigid container 19, 20, 21.

The use of non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may facilitate cost effectiveshipping of the packaged base liquid 18. Non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21may be relatively light weight, may be configured to stack efficiently,reducing dead space between packages, and may be allow relatively roughhandling. For example, the packages may be stacked in a geometricallyefficient manner based on a flat-sided geometry, and such stackedpackages may be efficiently shipped. According to one exemplaryembodiment, packages having a square or rectangular cross-section may bestacked with adjacent flat sides touching, thereby eliminating unusedvolumes in transportation containers. FIG. 13 illustrates atransportation truck 1300 having a number of non-rigid containers 19,20, 21 having a rectangular cross-section, stacked in an efficientmanner. As illustrated in FIG. 13, each non-rigid container 19, 20, 21,with the exception of the edge containers, is stacked with a containerimmediately above, below, to the left, and to the right. This efficientstacking system, mating adjacent planar surfaces, allows for theshipment of the maximum volume of product. In contrast, traditionalcontainers used for carbonated alcoholic beverages were cylindricallyshaped, resulting in a high level of unused space when shipped. Asfurther illustrated in FIG. 13, a number of stacking dividers 1310 areincluded between multiple layers of flexible containers 19, 20, 21 toensure that the maximum compression levels of the flexible containers isnot exceeded by the bottom container supporting all containers restingthereon.

Non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may also facilitate reliability andquality of the product received by an end-consumer. Non-rigid containers19, 20, 21 may facilitate the pasteurization, or ultra-pasteurization,of the packaged base liquid 18 after packaging. This may eliminate thepossibility of the packaged base liquid 18 from being contaminated withmicroorganisms. Non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may additionallyfacilitate the inclusion of labels and information directly on thepackage, which may be aesthetically pleasing to an end-consumer.Furthermore, non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21 may be environmentallyfriendly. Although there are many advantages to utilizing non-rigidcontainers 19, 20, 21, rigid containers, such as bottles and canscomprised of one or more of plastic, glass, and metal, may also beutilized.

In some embodiments, the packaged base liquid 18 may have a compositioncomprising a water content between about 89% wt and about 94% wt, a maltextract solids (e.g., beer flavor) content between about 3% wt and about5.5% wt, a carbon dioxide content less that about 0.15% wt, and an ethylalcohol content between about 0.1% wt and about 8% wt. Additionally, aspreviously discussed herein, the base liquid 10 or the packaged baseliquid 18 may be pasteurized, or ultra-pasteurized, to deactivate orkill any remaining yeast and/or other microorganisms therein.

In some embodiments, flavor ingredients 22 may be prepared and packaged,as shown in FIG. 3. Flavor ingredients 22 may be selected to impart anyof a variety of flavors to a base liquid 10. For flavor packets 24configured for utilization in personalized beers, flavor ingredients 22may be selected that correspond to flavors that are found in variousstyles of beers.

Bittering ingredients may be selected for a bittering flavor packet 24.Such bittering ingredients may include one or more of hops, dandelion,pine, spruce, nettle, scotch broom, heather, and other bitteringingredients. Likewise, aromatic and/or flavor ingredients may beselected for an aromatic flavor packet 24. Such aromatic ingredients mayinclude one or more of hops; citrus peel; coffee; tea; oak; charredwood; spices such as cinnamon, coriander, and curacao; fruits such ascherry, raspberry, peach, apple, and apricots; vegetables such aspumpkin, and blue agave nectar; and cereals such as malted barley, rye,wheat, rice, and millet.

The flavor ingredients 22 for each flavor packet 24 may be dried, toprevent spoilage. Optionally, the flavor ingredients 22 may also beground or milled to facilitate flavor extraction and facilitatemeasurement and packaging of the flavor ingredients 22. In someembodiments, ground flavor ingredients 22 may be compressed intopellets. In additional embodiments, the flavor ingredients 22, orportions of the flavor ingredients 22, may be preserved whole, such thata person may be able to identify the flavor ingredient 22 by its visualappearance.

The flavor ingredients 22 for each flavor packet 24 may be packaged in adiscrete container, such as a bottle, a bag 26, a pouch, or anothercontainer. Additionally, the flavor ingredients 22 may be packaged withan inert gas, such as nitrogen, to aid in preservation during storage.Optionally, the flavor ingredients 22 may be placed in a water permeablepouch 28 (e.g., a teabag) prior to sealing in the bag 26. Optionally, apacket of desiccant may also be included with the flavor ingredients 22that may be separated from the flavor ingredients 22 before theutilization of the flavor ingredients 22.

In some embodiments, a single flavor ingredient 22 may be packaged in abag 26. In additional embodiments, a plurality of flavor ingredients 22may be packaged in a bag 26. For example, flavor ingredients 22 having asimilar flavor or aroma may be packaged together.

In some embodiments, packaged base liquids 18 and flavor packets 24 maybe combined in a system 30, such as shown in FIG. 7, for a consumer toutilize in preparing a personalized malt-based beverage, such as apersonalized beer. Some systems 30 may include tools to make thepersonalized malt-based beverage in addition to the packaged base liquid18 and flavor ingredients.

In one embodiment, a system 30 may include one or more containers 20 ofbase liquid 18, one or more flavor packs 24 including flavor ingredients22, and a carbonating vessel 32, as shown in FIG. 7. The system 30 mayadditionally include a source of carbon dioxide, such as a carbondioxide cartridge 34, a funnel 36, water permeable pouches 28 (e.g., teabags, textile and/or porous material) or filters, and instructions 38.

As shown in FIG. 8, the carbonating vessel 32 may include a liquidstorage area 40, a compressed gas storage area, such as a carbon dioxidestorage area 42, and a pressure regulator 44 positioned between thecarbon dioxide storage area and the liquid storage area 40. In someembodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the carbon dioxide storage area 42 maybe removable from the liquid storage area 40 of the carbonating vessel32 to provide an opening for the introduction and removal of liquid fromthe liquid storage area 40. For example, the liquid storage area 40 maybe a bottle formed of spun aluminum and the carbon dioxide storage area42 may be comprised as a cap that may be screwed onto the top of thealuminum bottle forming the liquid storage area 40 via correspondingthreads on the bottle and the cap.

The pressure regulator 44 may be configured to release carbon dioxidegas from the carbon dioxide storage area 44 (e.g., from the carbondioxide cartridge 34) to the liquid storage area 40 at a controlledrate. For one example, the pressure regulator 44 may be configured torelease the carbon dioxide over a period of hours, such as greater thanabout 6 hours and less than about 36 hours. For another example, thepressure regulator 44 may be configured to release the carbon dioxideover a period of hours, such as between about 12 hours and about 24hours. Additionally, the pressure regulator 44 may be configured toprevent the pressure in the liquid storage area 40 of the carbonationvessel 32 from exceeding a predetermined amount, to preventover-carbonation of a liquid stored therein. Furthermore, according toone exemplary embodiment, the pressure regulator 44 may include anon/off valve that provides the consumer the ability to completelyregulate or stop the release of carbon dioxide gas from the carbondioxide storage area 44 to the liquid storage area 40.

The carbonating vessel 32 may also include a pressure relief valve 46.The pressure relief valve 46 may allow a relatively slow, controlleddischarge of pressurized gases from the liquid storage area 40, such asby the pressing of a button 48 or another control feature. Accordingly,the pressure relief valve 46 may be utilized for a controlled release ofpressure within the liquid storage area 40 and prevent excessive foamingof a carbonated liquid (e.g., a finished beer) stored therein when theliquid storage area 40 is opened.

In further embodiments, the carbonating vessel 32 may include a caphaving a carbon dioxide storage area 42 configured to receive a carbondioxide cartridge 34 in a horizontal orientation, as shown in FIG. 9.Additionally, as shown in FIG. 9, the carbonating vessel may beconfigured to receive a flavor column 52, which may facilitate thetransfer of flavors to a liquid therein during conditioning and storagetherein. Although a generally cylindrical flavor column 52 is shown, theflavor column 52 may be another geometric shape, such as a spherical,pyramidal, etc., or may be another shape, such as a flexible tea-baglike structure.

As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the flavor column 52 may include anopening 54 at a top thereof. Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11,the flavor column 52 may include water permeable openings 56 in a sidesurface. In some embodiments, the flavor column 52 may be configured tohold a dried flavor ingredient 22, as shown in FIG. 10A. In furtherembodiments, the flavor column 52 may be configured to hold a flavorliquid 58. Accordingly, the flavor column 52 may include a barrier, suchas a thin membrane, between the flavor liquid 58 and the water permeableopenings 56. Alternatively, the flavor column 52 may be free of amembrane and include a number of small orifices or other elements thatallow for fluid permeability. Additionally, the flavor column 52 mayinclude a oxygen scavenging material therein, such as iron filings, tofacilitate the removal of oxygen within the liquid storage area 40 ofthe carbonating vessel 32.

The flavor column 52 may be provided that includes premeasured andpackaged flavor ingredients 22 and/or flavor liquid 58 included therein.Optionally, the flavor column may be provided without flavor ingredients22 and/or flavor liquid 58 included therein and a consumer may insertdesired flavor ingredients 22 and/or flavor liquid 58 through theopening 54. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present systemand method, the flavor column may be a disposable flexible member thatis packaged and delivered with the non-rigid containers 19, 20, 21housing the base liquid. According to this exemplary embodiment, theflavor column may be disposable after each use and may be pre-packagedwith flavor ingredients 22 and/or flavor liquid 58.

In some embodiments, the carbonating vessel 32 may be configured forupright storage, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. A carbonating vessel mayalso be configured, however, to be stored on its side, as shown in FIG.11, to facilitate storage thereof. In additional embodiments, thecarbonating vessel 32 may be configured to be oriented at an angle,rather than a horizontal or vertical orientation. Additionally, thecarbonating vessel 32 may be sized and configured to readily fit withina home refrigerator. The carbonating vessel 32 may be provided in anynumber of sizes, such as relatively small, single serving sizes (e.g.,pint sized) to relatively large sizes (e.g., keg sized).

The carbonating vessel 32 may be configured such that a flavor column 52may be positioned between the carbon dioxide storage area 42 and theliquid storage area 40, as shown in FIG. 9, such that carbon dioxide maybe directed through the flavor column 52 into the liquid storage area40. In further embodiments, the carbonating vessel 32 may be configuredsuch that a flavor column 52 is positioned within the liquid storagearea 40, as shown in FIG. 11, such that carbon dioxide may be directedfrom the carbon dioxide storage area 42 into the liquid storage area 40without passing through the flavor column 52.

In further embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, the carbonating vessel 32may include a dip tube 60 extending into a liquid storage area 40, thedip tube 60 configured to deliver carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxidestorage area 42 to the liquid storage area 40.

The dip tube 60 may be one of a variety of configurations. For example,the dip tube 60 may include a single lumen (e.g., a single bore forfluid delivery), or may include a plurality of lumens (e.g., multiplefluid channels) extending therethrough. In some embodiments, the diptube 60 may include a single opening into the liquid storage area 40. Infurther embodiments, the dip tube 60 may include a plurality of openingsinto the liquid storage area 40. For example, the dip tube 60 mayinclude a plurality of openings along its length. For another example,the dip tube 60 may include one or more porous regions configured todiffuse carbon dioxide into a liquid within the liquid storage area 40via the pores of each porous region (e.g., the dip tube 60 may include adiffusion stone located at a distal end, or may include porous regionsdefined by a fibrous material).

In some embodiments, the dip tube 60 may be comprised of hollow fibers,membranes, and/or fiber bundles. The dip tube 60 may have a smooth,cylindrical exterior, or may have a helter-skelter exterior.Additionally, the dip tube 60 may have an open distal end, may include anozzle at the tip, may include a sparging tip, or may be potted at thedistal end.

The dip tube 60 may be removable and replaceable, and may be comprisedof an inexpensive and disposable material. Thus, the dip tube 60 may beregularly replaced, such as after each use thereof.

The pressure regulator 44 may be adjustable. Accordingly, a variouspressure settings may be selected. For example, a relatively highpressure setting may be selected to provide a relatively highlycarbonated liquid, or to reach a desired level of carbonation relativelyquickly. Likewise, a relatively low pressure setting may be selected toprovide a relatively lowly carbonated liquid, or to reach a desiredlevel of carbonation relatively slowly.

The pressure release valve 46 may be located to release gases from ahead space located above liquid within the liquid storage region.Accordingly, if the gases within the head space reach a pressure thatexceeds a pressure setting of the pressure release valve 46 the pressurerelease valve 46 may vent gases from within the head space outside ofthe carbonating vessel. This may prevent the carbonating vessel frombecoming over pressurized.

In some embodiments, the pressure release valve 46 may be adjustable,such as within a range of pressures that are below a maximum safeoperating pressure for the carbonating vessel. Accordingly, the pressurerelease valve 46 may perform multiple functions. The pressure releasevalve 46 may perform a safety function, preventing over pressurizationof the carbonating vessel, and may control the pressure in thecarbonating vessel, venting gases from the carbonating vessel until aset pressure is achieved.

By regulating the pressure of the carbonating vessel 32 with thepressure release valve 46, unwanted gases (e.g., nitrogen and/or oxygenfound in ambient air) may be vented out and replaced with carbondioxide. To ensure venting of unwanted gases, the pressure release valve46 may be set at a pressure that is lower than the pressure regulator44. Optionally, the pressure release valve 46 may be a manual vent thatmay be operated after the carbonating vessel has been pressurized tovent unwanted gases from the carbonating vessel.

The manual vent may be configured as a simple release valve, which maybe operable to open the head space within the carbonating vessel to theoutside and facilitate the equalization of pressure between thecarbonating vessel and the ambient environment. In further embodiments,the manual vent may include an adjustable pressure setting (e.g., adial-in adjustment) which may facilitate the venting of gases from thecarbonating vessel until the selected pressure is reached. In yetfurther embodiments, the manual vent may be a single shot valve, whichmay vent a metered amount of gas from the head space of the carbonatingvessel each time that the single shot valve is activated, such as bydepressing a button.

In some embodiments, the pressure release valve 46 may be an automatedvent provided to vent gases from the carbonating vessel. For example,the automated vent may be configured to open at specific time intervals,or when a specific pressure is reached.

A pressure gage 62 may measure a pressure within the liquid storage area40 of the carbonating vessel 32 and display the measured pressure.Optionally, the pressure gage 62 may additionally measure pressures inother regions of the carbonating vessel 32, such as within the carbondioxide storage area 42, and display these additional measuredpressures.

The utilization of the dip tube 60 may result in the formation of froth(i.e., foam) within the liquid storage area 40 of the carbonating vessel32 as carbon dioxide is released into the liquid stored in the liquidstorage area 40. Froth may be undesirable in certain regions of thecarbonating vessel 32. For example, the liquid component of froth maydamage and/or disable certain components of the carbonating vessel 32,such as valves and gauges, which may be designed to be utilized withrelatively clean gases. In view of this, methods and devices may beutilized to manage froth within the carbonating vessel 32.

In some embodiments, froth may be managed by regulating the rate thatcarbon dioxide is introduced into the liquid storage area 40 through adip tube 60. In further embodiments, temperature, liquid composition,and other variables that contribute to the formation of froth may becontrolled to reduce froth formation.

Additionally, froth that may form in the liquid storage area 40 may beprevented from reaching sensitive areas of the carbonating vessel 32. Insome embodiments, one or more froth barriers may be positioned toprevent froth from reaching sensitive areas of the carbonating vessel32. For example, a gas permeable membrane may be utilized as a barrier.In additional embodiments, a defoaming device or structure may bepositioned within the head space of the liquid storage region 40 thatmay break the surface tension of the liquid films entrapping gas thatdefines the froth, to facilitate separation of the liquid and theentrapped gas and reduce froth volume.

The base liquid 18 provided in the system 30 may be packaged incontainers 20 corresponding to the volume of the liquid storage region40 of the carbonating vessel 32 to reduce waste.

Optionally, if a rigid container is utilized to package the base liquid,the rigid container may be utilized as the liquid storage area 40 of thecarbonating vessel 32.

The components, such as the flavor packets 24, the containers 20 of baseliquid 18, the carbonating vessel 32, and the carbon dioxide cartridge34, and the system 30 may be displayed together to allow the consumer toeasily access each component and to understand all of the components andthe system. The display may include boxes including the system 30, whichmay include textual and/or graphical depictions of the contents thereof.The display may additionally include each of the components, such as theflavor packets 24, the containers 20 of base liquid 18, the carbonatingvessel 32, the carbon dioxide cartridge 34 displayed and available forpurchase separately. Accordingly, a person using the system 30 for thefirst time my buy a kit that includes each of the components needed toprepare a customized malt-based beverage. Additional components may alsobe displayed for purchase to make more customized malt-based beverages,without the purchase of reusable components, such as the carbonatingvessel 32. Separate components may also be purchased to allowcustomization outside of the bounds of a prepackaged kit of ingredients,giving the consumer freedom to experiment and explore various customizedmalt-based beverages.

Items that may be utilized each time the system is used may be providedin a kit. For example, in embodiments wherein a dip tube 60 is utilizedwith the carbonating vessel 32 a replacement dip tube 60 may be providedwith each package of base liquid. Additionally, other consumable items,such as a carbon dioxide cartridge 34, may be provided with each packageof base liquid.

Utilizing the various system components described herein, a consumer mayprepare a customized fermented beverage, such as a personalized beer.This process may include extracting flavors from various flavoringredients 22 into flavored liquids, combining the flavored liquids andone or more base liquids 18 to achieve a desired taste, and storing thecombined flavored and base liquids in the carbonating vessel 32 toprovide a carbonated custom fermented beverage (e.g., a finished custombeer).

Flavor may be extracted from a flavor ingredient 22 utilizing hot water.For example, the flavor ingredient 22 may be boiled, steamed, and/orsteeped in water. To extract the flavor by boiling, a pot of water maybe heated to a boil on a stovetop. The flavor ingredient packet 24 maybe opened and the flavor ingredient 22 may be placed in the boilingwater and boiled for a period of time. Boiling the water for asufficiently long period allows reducing the oxygen therein and isconsidered beneficial for the taste of the final beverage.

For example, hops may be boiled in water for between about 30 minutesand about 60 minutes to provide a liquid bittering flavor. For anotherexample, hops may be boiled for about 15 minutes or less to provide aliquid aromatic flavor. The solid residue of the flavor ingredients 22may then be separated from the liquid flavor (i.e., the water and theextracted flavor). For example, a water permeable container 28 holdingthe ingredient solids residues may be removed from the liquid flavor.For another example, the liquid flavor may be directed through a filterto remove the solids.

To extract the flavor by steaming, the flavor ingredient may beintroduced into a container and pressurized steam may be directedthrough the container. For example, the flavor ingredient may bepositioned into an espresso machine and the flavor liquid may beprepared in a manner similar to the preparation of espresso.

To extract the flavor by steeping, the flavor ingredients may beintroduced into hot water for a period of time. In some embodiments, theflavor liquid may be prepared using traditional methods for makingcoffee or tea. For example, steeping roasted cereals, may extractflavors having subtle burned notes typical to some existing beer types.

In some embodiments, flavor may be extracted with a solvent other than,or in addition to, water. For example, flavors may be extracted from aflavor ingredient 22 with a solvent containing ethyl alcohol (e.g.,vodka). In further embodiments, the flavor ingredients 22 may be packedand provided to a consumer as a flavor liquid. In yet furtherembodiments, flavor ingredients 22 may be provided as a paste, a gel, asuspension, a powder, a solid, a liquid, or a combination thereof, whichmay require flavor extraction, or which may be added directly to thebase liquid as a flavor ingredient.

After each of the flavor liquids have been prepared, and optionallycooled to room temperature, a consumer may combine chosen preparedflavor liquids with one or more chosen base liquids 18 in a ratio to theconsumers liking. If more than one base liquid 18 is used, the consumermay combine the base liquids 18 as desired. For example, a light baseliquid 18 and a dark base liquid 18 may be combined in a ratio thatachieves a darkness that is to the consumers liking. For anotherexample, a light base liquid 18 having a relatively low ethyl alcoholcontent may be combined with a strong base liquid 18 having a relativelyhigh ethyl alcohol content at a ratio that achieves a desired ethylalcohol content.

The consumer may incrementally add flavor liquid to the base liquid 18until the combined liquids have an organoleptic profile (e.g., a tasteand a smell) that is pleasing to the consumer. The consumer mayincrementally add a bittering flavor liquid until a desired bitternessis achieved. The consumer may then incrementally add an aromatic flavorliquid until a desired aroma and taste is achieved. Additionally, theconsumer may add one or more of a spice flavor, a fruit flavor, a woodflavor, and/or additional flavor liquids, until a desired taste andaroma is achieved.

By mixing base liquids 18 and experimenting with various flavoringredients 22, the end consumer can manufacture a personalizedbeverage, fine-tuned to his or her preference. Additionally, restaurantscan produce various types of unique malt-based beverages perfectlymatching a specific dish offered with minimum of effort and inrelatively small volumes, matching their actual needs. As various flavoringredients 22 and various base liquids 18 may be available, and theymay be combinable in various amounts and combinations, an infinitenumber of personalized fermented beverages may be prepared with thesystem 30. Accordingly, a consumer may mix and match flavor ingredients22 and base liquids 18 to explore numerous beer varieties and flavorsutilizing relatively few components.

The combined base and flavor liquids may be combined within the liquidstorage area 40 of the carbonating vessel 32, or the combined base andflavor liquids may be poured into the liquid storage area 40 of thecarbonating vessel 32. To prepare the carbonating vessel 32 for use, acarbon dioxide cartridge 34 may be inserted into the carbon dioxidestorage area 42. The opening to the liquid storage area 40 may then beclosed by the cap comprising the carbon dioxide storage area 42. Uponclosure of the liquid storage area 40 the pressure regulator 44 mayallow carbon dioxide to flow into the liquid storage area 40. Forexample, a knob 50 or other control feature may be operated by theconsumer to activate the release of carbon dioxide. Optionally, the capmay be configured to allow trapped air in a headspace above the liquidin the liquid storage area 40 to be vented and replaced by carbondioxide prior to pressurization.

Optionally, flavor liquids may be added to the base liquid after thebase liquid has been carbonated in the carbonating vessel 32.

If a flavor column 52 is utilized as shown in FIG. 9, a membrane may bebroken by the release of carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide storagearea 42 and flavors may be directed from the flavor column into theliquid storage area 40 through the water permeable openings 56.

The carbonating vessel 32 may then be placed in a refrigerator to becooled. Over a period of time, such as a time period between about 12hours and about 24 hours, the combined liquid may become conditioned anda certain amount of carbon dioxide may become dissolved in the combinedliquid. After the combined liquid is carbonated it may provide afinished customized malt-based beverage, such as beer, that is ready tobe consumed. The cap may be removed from the bottle containing theliquid storage area 40 and the finished fermented beverage (e.g., beer)may be poured into containers for consumption. Accordingly, in additionto providing carbonation, the liquid storage area 40 of the carbonatingvessel may be utilized as a pitcher or growler for serving finishedfermented beverage and as a storage container for finished fermentedbeverage. A separate cap may be provided for serving and storingfinished fermented beverage after carbonation, or the cap comprising thecarbon dioxide storage area 42 may be utilized for storing the finishedfermented beverage after carbonation thereof. In view of this, aseparate pitcher is not required for serving finished fermentedbeverage, providing ease of use and reduced cleanup.

In some embodiments, a cartridge of compressed nitrogen (N2) may bepositioned into a gas storage area of a carbonating vessel 32 andnitrogen may be introduced into a fermented beverage, such as a stout orcream ale style beer, which may provide a creamy head and mouth feelassociated with such fermented beverages.

To facilitate the making of a fermented beverage, such as a specificstyle of beer, instructions 38 for duplicating popular beers may beprovided in the system 30, or may otherwise be made available to theconsumer. The instructions 38 may include one or more recipes, which mayspecify specific amounts of specific base liquids to be used, specificflavor ingredients to be used, how the flavors should be extracted, andhow much of resulting flavor liquids should be added for specific beerstyles. In some embodiments, a recipe may include exact quantities andingredients. In additional embodiments, a recipe may include ranges ofsuggested ingredients, so that the consumer may get a general idea ofhow to achieve a specific beer style, but feel free to customize thebeer style to their liking.

A recipe may also include additional information about a specific styleof beer, like the history of the beer variety and other information toeducate the consumer and provide an emotional connection between theconsumer and the beer that they are crafting.

The system 30 may additionally include worksheets to facilitaterecording a custom recipe (i.e., how a consumer prepared a batch ofbeer), so that later the consumer may be able to duplicate the beeragain or share their recipe with others.

Finally, in some embodiments, software may be made available, such asvia the internet or on a digital storage medium (e.g., a compact disc),to provide recipes and information to the consumer. The software may beconfigured to be utilized with a desktop computer, a laptop computer, atablet computer, and/or a handheld computer (e.g., a smartphone). Thesoftware may be utilized to provide recipes, to record recipes createdby consumers, to share recipes (e.g., via social networking channels),and for related discussion. The software may allow consumers to networkwith other consumers regarding the customization of malt beveragesutilizing systems and devices such as described herein to share theirexperiences. Additionally, the software may be configured to prompt auser for a beer style or taste preference. In response to an input bythe user, the software may generate a flavor ingredient and base liquidcombination suggestion to the user.

The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate anddescribe exemplary embodiments of the invention. It is not intended tobe exhaustive or to limit the invention to any precise form disclosed.Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined bythe following claims.

1. A method of decarbonating fermented liquids in-line, the methodcomprising: directing a carbonated cereal-based liquid through a nozzle;directing the carbonated malt-based liquid from the nozzle into a space;and maintaining the carbonated cereal-based beverage in the space untilsubstantially all of the carbon dioxide dissolved within the carbonatedcereal-based beverage has been removed to provide a non-carbonatedliquid characterized in that said space is maintained at a partialvacuum pressure.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said cereal-basedliquid comprises a malt-based liquid.
 3. (canceled)
 4. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising removing the non-carbonated liquid from thespace at substantially the same rate that the carbonated cereal-basedliquid is directed into the space.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising removing the non-carbonated liquid from the space to afiller.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the carbonatedcereal-based liquid from the nozzle into the space comprisesdistributing the carbonated cereal-based liquid over a surface.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein directing the carbonated cereal-based liquidover the surface comprises directing the carbonated cereal-based liquidover a wall of a cylindrical vessel defining the space.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising heating the carbonated cereal-based liquid.9. The method of claim 8, wherein heating the carbonated cereal-basedliquid comprises heating the carbonated malt-based beverage to atemperature between about 35° C. and about 38° C.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the space is maintained at an absolute pressure ofabout 10 kPa.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonatedcereal-based liquid comprises an ethyl alcohol content of at least 0.1%wt.
 12. (canceled)
 13. (canceled)
 14. (canceled)
 15. The method of claim1, wherein the carbonated cereal-based beverage comprises between about3% wt malt extract solids and about 5.5% wt malt extract solids.
 16. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the carbonated cereal-based beveragecomprises less than about 6 International Bitterness Units. 17.(canceled)
 18. (canceled)
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein thenon-carbonated liquid removed from the space comprises a carbon dioxidelevel between about zero grams per liter and about 1.5 grams per liter.20. (canceled)
 21. (canceled)
 22. A method of decarbonating fermentedliquids in-line, the method comprising: heating a carbonated malt-basedliquid; directing a carbonated malt-based liquid through a nozzle;distributing the carbonated malt-based liquid over a surface within aspace with the nozzle; maintaining the space at a partial vacuumpressure; maintaining the carbonated malt-based beverage in the spaceuntil substantially all of the carbon dioxide dissolved within thecarbonated malt-based beverage has been removed to provide anon-carbonated liquid; and removing the non-carbonated liquid from thespace to a filler at substantially the same rate that the carbonatedmalt-based liquid is directed into the space.
 23. The method of claim22, wherein heating the carbonated malt-based liquid comprises heatingthe carbonated malt-based beverage to a temperature between about 35° C.and about 38° C.
 24. (canceled)
 25. The method of claim 22, wherein thecarbonated malt-based liquid comprises an ethyl alcohol content betweenabout 3% wt and about 12% wt, and comprises between about 3% wt maltextract solids and about 5.5% wt malt extract solids.
 26. The method ofclaim 22, wherein the carbonated malt-based beverage comprises less thanabout 6 International Bitterness Units. 27.-141. (canceled)